Abstraction

The game itself is based on an abstract concept. Simulation theory is something we are unlikely to ever prove and currently has more interest from a conspirator’s perspective than a scientific or philosophical one.

“Everything you can imagine is real” (Pablo Picasso)

While Bostrom’s simulation theory is an abstract concept (in that a lot of academia argues it has few implications for the ‘real world’), and I’m exploring it in an arguably abstract sense (i.e. reducing it to its basic elements) the way I’m presenting it is fundamentally an illustration of the theory. My argument is that simulation theory, and the context in which I’m exploring it (ibid), has a significant real world correlate. Therefore my game sits high on the representation scale, rather than abstraction.

Playtesting

I have developed a draft rulebook to accompany the game:

Made using Canva

Currently, the template is the same across all of my game pages, although some are limited to text, and others incorporate video. I’ve added various new forks into the game, several of which lead to dead ends. In these ‘game over’ pages, I’ve detailed various academic information regarding issues such as natural disasters

From researching other CYOA games, I have discovered there are various conventions I have not followed, primarily using second-person narrative. However, my game features two protagonists which the player will switch between and therefore I feel it is best to continue the story from each character’s perspective to differentiate the two different strains of the story.